GTWorld mobile banking app feels like science fiction

I am an app junkie. It didn’t take me years to come to that conclusion. I love trying out apps. Today, I tried out the new GTWorld mobile banking app and it totally blew my mind. Come with me to find out how.

Banking in Nigeria is currently undergoing a digital revolution. The competition is getting intense as banking institutions keep exploring new ways to meet their costumers’ demands in the new digital age. There has never been a time that the need to redefine how banking is done is as great as it is now.

I am a stickler for easy and consumer friendly processes, especially with banking processes. I mean, I’m giving you my money to make money from; why make life difficult for me? As a result, I have jumped around quite a bit with banks and their apps. Call me a bank whore if you may. If you own accounts with more than one bank, the same term applies to you, so there *tongues out*

Stanbic IBTC’s APPYNESS gave everyone a run for their money recently. It is a one stop app for all their services. One App. It was revolutionary at that time because no other banking institution in Nigeria delivered all their services in one app in a user friendly format. UBA tried it with UBA Retail and it failed. Stanbic’s APPYNESS is beautiful to use. I opened a savings account with Stanbic in part just to experience the full features of the app.

But this article isn’t about StanbicIBTC. My all-time favorite Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) has quietly launched another mobile banking app called GTWorld. I had to redefine perfection. We all know that GTBank has countless services. With the new GTWorld mobile banking app, all those services can now be accessed via ONE APP. And that is not the only catch, the GTWorld app has taken the lead in app innovation within the banking industry. Wait for it…

GTWorld mobile banking app embraces Science Fiction

What makes the GTWorld mobile banking app so superb is that it supports both facial and fingerprint recognition so you can login and effect transfers using either means for authentication. My first reaction to that was disbelief. But then, I tried it out and it works!

It feels like something from a Sci-fi movie. The ability to login and make transactions on my smartphone using just biometric authentication – my FINGERPRINT OR FACIAL RECOGNITION – is just mind blowing! No more hardware tokens or OTPs. Just one swipe and I am in the app.

Of course, you can still login via a password and conduct transactions using a PIN or token. All those options are available to users. You use what works for you.

Initial App Authorization

There was one snag though in setting up the app. I had to go through some initial hoops to authorize the app on my phone. For some reason, the SMS token sent to me didn’t arrive, so I had to generate my own token. Same thing might happen to you. In which case, you will need to dial *737*5# from your registered phone number to register a PIN. Then you must dial *737*7# to generate a token. Use this token to set up your account within the app. After that, you get to the fun part.

For now, this is the coolest app I have ever used for transactions. If someone from the GTBank mobile development team is reading this, you guys have won my heart. This was nicely done. I give this app 4.5 stars. The app is available for both Android smartphones and iPhones. Go get it in your app store.

Been using it since I spotted it on Play store last week. Great app, I must say.

I have this weird feeling though, a sense of paranoia actually. At first, I didn’t find any info about it online at the time i downloaded it so I was afraid If I wasn’t putting myself at risk. Not until I saw it on BBM then later Twitter.

You know, the ransomware cyber attacks lately.

I’m still concerned about the implementation of the security options, maybe it’s device based or server side. I was gonna ask the developer but the mail is still in my drafts folder.

*thinking out loud* Or maybe it’s just about the placement of the finger print scanner on my phone. Being on the front means I use my thumb for unlocking the phone, locking personal files and apps and also using it to authenticate bank transactions using the app. That’s just too much for being as security conscious, using the same “password” for a myriad of functions.